Sunday’s Thought: The Voices We Keep Silent…

As a child growing up, there were quite a few issues that occurred in my life in which I felt like my voice either went either unheard or numb to the world around me. I grew up in a household with a bully step-father who fought my mom to no end, sometimes those fights ended in bloodshed, I watched as he hit, degraded and shamed her; whether in public, in front of his or her family and most heartbreakingly, in front of me and my two sisters. Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was helpless.

“Not one person liked the way Billy treated others, but they’d dare not say anything.” –Excerpt from Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills

I remember being in school, third grade – the teacher would have us line up behind each other once we got out of the bathroom and had a water break. One of my male classmates in whom would purposely stand behind me every time would touch me inappropriately, he would lean up against me really close, take his hand and dig in my derriere, making his way to touch other parts of me that I didn’t even know was supposed to be touched. This made me feel very uncomfortable and weird. Why was he doing this? Should I say something about it? Would he deny it? Would my voice matter? Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was scared.

“Everyone did try their best to make him feel welcome, but it was very evident, Billy didn’t want their friendship or kindness, but their fears instead, in which he seemed to hold tightly in the palm of his hands.” – Excerpt from Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills

For a couple of years, I was sexually molested by my step-father, my mother’s second husband. At first I didn’t know what was going on, he would make my sisters go outside to play when my mother would leave the house and he would come into my room and act as if we were playing a game of hiding and seek, thing is – he would find me every-time and my punishment for getting found? became a reward for him to do what he wanted to do to me. Should I tell my mother? Would she believe me? Would he deny it? Was this supposed to happen? In some sense, was I asking for it and didn’t know it? Where was my voice to speak up? In this case, it was numb.

You did whatever you could just to stay off Billy’s radar – which didn’t seem to help much as he always found a way to make you a part of his internal view.– Excerpt from Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly

In school, I was bullied by kids – I guess you can say I was the weakest link. I had issues going on at home and issues going on at school, I had no friends but a made up imaginary friend named “Jeannine” in whom I confided in and talked too quite a bit. I was always afraid to speak up because I always felt like there would be repercussions for my actions and who would protect me? At the end of the day, It was my word vs. their word. I was hopeless and felt as if they were more powerful and because of that “The Silence” went on for years and years. Until one day – I got the courage to SPEAK UP!

Outside of absolutely being in love with children’s books, this was another reason for me writing the book “Billy Wolf & The Kids of Heavenly Hills Elementary” while the book may seem juvenile, it’s a story of how we as a society can allow one thing or one person take the most powerful thing to ever grace our body away from us and that’s YOUR VOICE!Let me tell you, Bullying takes place every….single….day in our society and our lives, it happens to adults as well as children. It’s not prejudiced as it affects everyone at one time or another. Why should we allow one person to have so much power over us, a power that most likely cripples us for years.

ONE VOICE – CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING!

And make a difference that empowers you and everyone else around you.

Sometimes people are just waiting on someone else to make a BOLD move, by speaking up, you could actually be saving someone else’s life – whom may be too afraid to do so.

Your voice can be the biggest light, in the midst of darkness.

My hope is that this book will encourage, inspire and motivate kids as well as adults to stand up and use the most powerful tool God gave us and that’s OUR VOICE!

Brilliant an issue that greatly has had a impact on my son everytime he speaks up he is told it’s just kids being kids and he should learn to brush it off if he was treated on a street how he was great at school it would be seen as a crime the fact he has to deal with it in school and the teachers put it down to his autism and him not userstanding is quite silly really and it has hinderered his ability in school he became a school refuser for a year finally back in full time at senior school still has same issues with same kids.

Oh my? FayeKerryFarmer – that’s so awesome and I absolutely hate to hear of stories like that because you would think (especially the school) would have a better system set-up to deal with issues of this nature – I just asked my two kids the other day whom their counselor was and neither could tell me or stated that they didn’t think they had one. Really???…When I was in school, that’s all we had and they made sure we knew their names. Schools have taken a back seat to bullying and the pressure that kids face in having to deal with it. I’m going to be praying for your son, if it’s one thing I know – prayer works even when schools don’t. I pray the book not only challenges our children but our schools as well to speak up and take a stand against this, we’ve lost too many beautiful lives as a result of it. Thanks again for reading, xoxo =)

Aww! Thank you so much Jennifer for reading it and for dropping by. I’m so nervous about it, I really pray that it helps someone, especially our children whom feel they don’t have a voice. Kiss those babies for me, xoxo

Wow! Firstly, I’m so sorry that you had to deal with any of that; these stories are so common place and it makes me sad for this world. But I am so GLAD you found your voice. Writing can be the absolute best therapy!! I’m excited to read this when it comes out and congratulations!!!

Hi Rudymariee, Thanks so much for reading and yes, you’re right stories like this are very common, which is the sad thing. Writing definitely has become my voice and has been a blessing. Again, thanks for reading. I appreciate you. xoxo =)

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